A growing number of Samsung Galaxy S23 owners are reporting a persistent green vertical line appearing on their displays. It appeared shortly after installing the One UI 8.5 update and does not disappear after restarting the device.
Users say there was no physical damage to their devices, yet community responses suggest it may be linked to underlying AMOLED display failure that becomes visible around periods of heat or heavy system load.
It might be Samsung's fault
An S23 user noticed a permanent green vertical line on the left side of his screen and took to Samsung’s forum asking for help. Other users soon responded with their personal opinions, suggesting that overheating during the update may have damaged the screen. They instructed the user to visit a service centre so technicians can inspect it physically.
Although it’s not confirmed as a widespread defect affecting all units or tied directly to the One UI update, there have been a number of similar reports across other forums including Reddit and X, including some saying that it affects the Ultra model too.
While it's possible that software can influence hardware through heat as suspected, it doesn’t usually damage the screen in a single moment unless your display panel already has a weak point. A thin line of stress in the column drivers or even a failing bond can be pushed too far with extra heat.
To help with the visualization, AMOLED panels have multiple thin layers that manufacturers press and bond together into a single sealed unit. A glass layer sits on top and protects the display.
There is a touch layer under it that detects finger input and sends signals to the system. Again, there is the AMOLED layer itself under it that produces light using millions of tiny organic pixels.
Each vertical strip of pixels depends on a thin control line that feeds its voltage in an accurate pattern. Should the control line or its driver connection develop a fault, the signal either becomes stuck or cut out entirely. They'll all receive an incorrect or constant signal and the display shows a bright green, or sometimes pink, vertical line.
Samsung isn't inspiring confidence in affected users
Samsung is yet to confirm whether the growing green line pandemic is a manufacturing defect. But it's scary enough that one user updated their phone while it was on an ice tray.
One Reddit user described a case where their Galaxy S23 developed a green line after over a year of normal use. The phone was taken to an authorized Samsung service centre, but they refused to repair it for free, even though the user claimed it was a hidden defect.
The user escalated the issue by filing a complaint through a consumer protection platform (consumidor.gov). Following the complaint, Samsung agreed to a formal inspection and said they would repair the device if there is no evidence of physical damage or misuse. The phone was sent for evaluation and the user is waiting for a final response.
Similar complaints have popped up over the past few days, so the chances of a positive response is low. Still, visit a Samsung service centre for inspection if you were affected. If you're lucky, they might fix it for free if your phone is still within three years of purchase. If it's older, you'll pay for the repair yourself. The issue seems to be popular in India where repair costs ₹19,500 (≈ $206) for a new screen.